Talking motion picture film and method of making same



Nov. 17, 1931. H. E. CHIPMAN TALKING MOTION PICTURE FILM AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed July 9, 1928 ATTORNEY Spring steel rib Patented Nov. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY E. CHIPMAN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, IBY'MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO ANDREW LE ROY CHIPMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. I

TALKING MOTION PICTURE FILM AND METHOD OF MAKING Original application filed March 1'2, 1924, Serial No. 698,588. Divided and this application filed July 9, 1928. Serial No. 291,167.

This invention relates to a talking motion picture film and method of making same and embodies matter divided out of an application filed by me March 12, 1924, Serial No. 698,588. More particularily this invention relates to a mot-ion picture film having one or more strips or ribbons of magnetized material constituting a sound producing and reproducing record secured to the film in a permanent and non-loosening manner and the method employed in so permanently securing the magnetized material to the film.

In the manufacture of talking motion picture films difliculty has been experienced in satisfactorily securing or associating the sound producin element to the picture film.

bon, because it possesses the characteristic of receiving and accurately retaining a varying impressed magnetism, is most satisfactory material from a sound recording and reproducing standpoint. But due to the resilient characteristic and smooth surface of steel ribbon, no method of satisfactorily securing such a sound producing and reproducing material to the picture film has heretofore been devised. As the film is wound upon and unwound from the reel there is a strong tendency for the steel ribbon to become loose and separate from the picture film destroying the synchronism between the talk and the picture and rendering the film useless. Furthermore, there is a natural tendency for the picture film to shrink after passing through the various soaking and drying processes necessary to develop the film. Since the steel ribbon carried thereon does not shrink but remains in its original size, there is a further tendency for the film to draw away and separate from the steel ribbon.

The principal object of this invention is to provide-a talking motion picture film especially well suited for the production and reproduction of talking motion pictures which will withstand handling and hard usage without injury or impairment to its talking properties and the method of making such a film quickly, efiiciently and without great expense.

Another object of this invention is to produce a talking motion picture film and devise type, adapted for the production and reproduction of motion pictures, and securely attach lengthwise on this film one or more strips of magnetizable material, such as spring steel, which is suitable for the production and reproduction of sounds. The talking material is so placed on the motion picture film as not to interfere with picture production and reproduction. I have found.

that the metallic talking ribbon may be attached to the motion picture film in a suitable manner by means of a bond comprising cementitious material, preferably using three coatings or layers of this material, one applied between the motion picture film and the talking ribbon and two la ers subsequently flowed over the applied ri bon.

In order that a clearer understanding of my invention may be had, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and illustrating one possible embodiment of my invention.

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical view of the film, illustrating the several steps in the method of production, the film being shown in full with apertures along the sides thereof adapted to be engaged by sprockets on the film reel.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of a fragment of the motion picture film without the talking ribbon applied.

Fig. 3 is a similar transverse sectional View of the film showing the first layer of cement applied thereto and ready to receive the talking? ribbon.

ig. 4 is a similar sectional view showing the talking ribbon applied.

Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view showing a layer of cement applied over the talking ribbon, and

Fig. 6 is a similar sectional view show ng another andfinal coating of cement applied and constitutes a fra ment of my complete talking picture film. imilar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In carrying out my method, a motion picture film of the usual type may be used, comprising essentially a transparent base 2 made of a suitable pyroxyline composition carrying on one side a suitable photographic emulsion 1. The talking motion picture film comprises this motion picture film with one or more strips or ribbons ofmagnetizable material, such as thin spring steel, securely attached to the motion icture film, preferably on the unemulsione side thereof, and extending longitudinally along the length of the film at a lace where it will not interfere with the pro uction and reproduction of mo gift; pictures on and from the photographic My process of combinin such metallic ribbon and motion picture lm comprises first placing a ribbon of suitable cementitious substance 3, such as, cement or other suitable adhesive, along the unemulsioned side of the motion picture film as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This may be done by feeding the film strip across a cement swabbing point so as to come in contact with the film. Then I lay the metallic talking ribbon 4 on the cement layer 3 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. This may be done by feeding the ribbon into superimposed relation over the moving picture strip and then pressing them together so as to embed the ribbon in the cementitious material. As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, I then place another coat of cementitious material 5 over the ribbon 4 and when this coat 5 has become suitably dry I finally apply another coat 6 of cementitious material over the coating 5.

Because of the bending and turning of the film as it passes through the recording and reproducing apparatus and a ain because of the natural shrinking of the lm strip due to the alternate soaking and drying of the film during the developing process, the steel ribbon has a great tendency to rip away from the film base, thus ruining the talking picture film. A single interposed application of cement between the ribbon and the film strlp such as layer 3, does not give a strong enough bond to prevent this rupture. Apphcant has discovered that by applying the cement over the ribbon so that the cement adheres to the film base along the sides of the ribbon, a very strong bond is established and the metallic strip is held to the film base in a satisfactory manner. The three coats of cement bond the metallic ribbon 4 in place permanently and without loosening onthe motion picture fihn even after going through the developing process and after rough handling and hard usage.

The above steps for permanently securing the ribbon to the film strips are preferably carried out in a dark room, so as not to s 011 the sensitiveness of the emulsion 1. A 'lm produced in accordance with my invention presents the photographic emulsion in a satisfactory manner for the production and reproduction of motion pictures, and the talking ribbon 4 thereon is properly presented for the production and reproduction of sounds in exact synchronism with the pictures of the photographic film. Although I have described the article and method with reference to a talking motion picture film having a single talking strip, I preferably incorporate two parallel talking strips on the film, the second strip being a plied in the same manner as above descri ed. It has been found that sometimes better production and reproduction of the sounds is obtained by using two such ribbons instead of a single ribbon.

The steel strips, especially when two are applied, one on each side, materially tend to prevent shrinkage of the film, since the strips do not shrink.

The steel strip or strips may be applied to either side of the film.

The bond of cementitious material should, of course, adhere firmly and strongly to the film and steel ribbon. A bond including cellulose is preferred, also a bond which, when dry, will not be so brittle as to break or crack when the film bends and turns, nor should the bond be such that it will become weakened or softened by the water or the chemicals of the photographic treatment, nor softened or weakened by the heat of the light of the projection machine.

The film ma be provided with apertures 37 along the si es thereof with which sprockets on the film reel are adapted to engage, to move the film along.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and as many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is 1. The method of producing talking motion picture film, which includes depositing cementitious material upon motion picture film, imbedding a ribbon of magnetizable material insaid cementitious material, flowing cementitious material over the imbedded rib bon so as to completely cover the ribbon and engage the material along both sides of the IlbbOIl, drying the applied cementitious material, and then flowing additional cementitious material over the material previously applied so as to completely cover said material and to engage the film along both s1des of the material.

2. A talking motion picture film comprising a hotographic motion picture film having a ase provided with a coating of photographic emulsion, a stri of cementitious material on said film, a ri bon of magnetizable material imbedded and cemented in said ce- Inentitious material, a layer of cementitious material covering the ribbon completely and cementitiously engaging the motion plcture film on both sides of the ribbon, and another and separate layer of cementitious material completely covering the previous layer and cementitiously engaging the film along both sides thereof.

This specification signed and witnessed this 5 day of July, 1928.

HARRY E. CHIPMAN. 

